Over the course of six seasons, the Movie of the Week frequently used its ninety-minute timeslot to gauge the viability of a potential series by airing an introductory film, also known in the television industry as a pilot. Most of these efforts were failures, never transitioning into a regular series, although there were a handful of prominent successes. What follows is a season-by-season list of pilots and their outcomes.
Original Broadcast: September 30, 1969
Series Run: September 24, 1970–January 14, 1971
Number of Episodes: 15
Returning Cast: Christopher George (Ben Richards), Barry Sullivan (Jordan Braddock), Carol Lynley (Sylvia Cartwright)
Cast Changes: Don Knight (Fletcher)
The series essentially picks up where the pilot film left off, with Ben Richards being pursued because of the life-saving, life-extending qualities of his blood. However, the original antagonist in the pilot, billionaire Jordan Braddock, dies early in the series. Unfortunately, Richards is not out of danger, as another billionaire, Fletcher, takes up the chase, leaving Richards still on the run for his life.
DVD Availability: None
Original Broadcast: October 28, 1969
Series Run: September 21, 1970–March 24, 1971
Number of Episodes: 24
Returning Cast: Judy Pace (Ann Fielding), Zalman King (Aaron Silverman)
Cast Changes: Lee J. Cobb (Attorney David Barrett), Philip Clark (Chris Blake)
Much of the original cast transitions into this legal drama set in a neighborhood legal aid office in Boston. The young, idealistic lawyers in training handle cases steeped in the salient issues of the day: Vietnam, civil rights, discrimination, poverty, and political corruption.
DVD Availability: None
Original Broadcast: January 5, 1971
Series Run: January 21, 1971–January 13, 1973
Number of Episodes: 49
Returning Cast: Peter Duel (Hannibal Heyes/Joshua Smith), Ben Murphy (Jed “Kid” Curry/Thaddeus Jones), John Russell (Marshal), Dennis Fimple (Kyle), Bill Fletcher (Doc Holiday), Bill McKinney (Lobo)
Cast Changes: Roger Davis (Hannibal Heyes/Joshua Smith), Ralph Story (Narrator)
Picking up where the film left off, Hannibal Heyes and “Kid” Curry (aka Smith and Jones) are travelling the West trying to stay out of trouble until they can be pardoned for past crimes. Because their amnesty deal was a secret, the duo is still hounded from town to town by lawmen, bounty hunters, and private detectives. Tragedy struck the series when Pete Duel committed suicide in December of 1971. The producers did not skip a beat, and the Heyes character was played for the remainder of the series by Roger Davis.
DVD Availability: The complete series is available from Timeless Media.
Original Broadcast: February 23, 1971
Series Run: September 16, 1971–March 2, 1972
Number of Episodes: 23
Returning Cast: James Franciscus (Michael Longstreet), John McIntire (Dr. Dan Stockton)
Cast Changes: Marilyn Mason (Nikki Bell), Peter Mark Richman (Duke Paige), Bruce Lee (Li Tsung)
The blind insurance investigator Mike Longstreet continues his career from his home base in New Orleans. In its single season, Longstreet finds himself investigating and solving a number of mysteries, including kidnappings, murders, fraud, and luxury thefts. The series is also notable for several appearances by Bruce Lee as Longstreet’s martial arts instructor.
DVD Availability: Several individual episodes featuring Bruce Lee are available from Banzai Media.
Original Broadcast: October 2, 1971
Series Run: January 15, 1972–December 23, 1972
Number of Episodes: 25
Returning Cast: None
Cast Changes: Gary Collins (Dr. Michael Rhodes), Catherine Ferrar (Nancy Murphy)
The short-lived series, The Sixth Sense, is loosely based on the Movie of the Week, Sweet, Sweet, Rachel, although it bears little resemblance to the pilot. The one similar theme from the film is the lead character, a paranormal researcher who investigates episodes of extrasensory perception and mental telepathy in various forms. Oddly enough, none of the characters or actors was retained from the pilot film. The new series stars Gary Collins, who was not in the pilot, as the paranormal investigator.
DVD Availability: None
Original Broadcast: January 11, 1972
Series Run: September 13, 1974–March 28, 1975
Number of Episodes: 20
Returning Cast: Darren McGavin (Carl Kolchak), Simon Oakland (Tony Vincenzo)
Cast Changes: Jack Grinnage (Ron Updyke), Ruth McDevitt (Emily Cowles)
Following his adventures in Las Vegas and Seattle, Carl Kolchak settles in Chicago, working as a reporter for the Independent News Service. Kolchak typically encounters a different monster, ghost, or supernatural phenomenon each week, in the process driving his friend and editor Tony Vincenzo to a stomach ulcer. With an inexplicable delay, the series premiered a year and a half after the second Kolchak movie aired. Having lost much of the momentum from the highly rated movies, and lacking quality stories, the series did not even run for a full season.
DVD Availability: The complete series is available from Universal Studios.
Original Broadcast: February 22, 1972
Series Run: October 14, 1972–April 26, 1975
Number of Episodes: 62
Returning Cast: David Carradine (Caine), Philip Ahn (Master Kan), Richard Loo (Master Sun), Keye Luke (Master Po), Radames Pera (Boy Caine)
Cast Changes: None
Kwai Chaing Caine continues his search for his long lost half-brother in the American West. Along the way he confronts racism, intolerance, and corruption, often standing up for the downtrodden and disenfranchised. However, given the continual threat of imperial assassins, Caine can never stay in one place for too long; thus, the people, places, and plots change from week to week.
DVD Availability: The complete series is available from Warner Home Video.
Original Broadcast: March 7, 1972
Series Run: September 11, 1972–March 30, 1976
Number of Episodes: 92
Returning Cast: Georg Stanford Brown (Terry Webster), Sam Melville (Mike Danko), Michael Ontkean (Willie Gillis)
Cast Changes: Gerald O’Loughlin (Lt. Ryker), Kate Jackson (Jill Danko)
The series narrowed the focus of the show to three of the original rookies, Mike Danko, Terry Webster, and Willie Gillis, as they became seasoned officers under the direction of the gruff but good-hearted Sgt. Ryker. In addition to dealing with standard street crimes, the show occasionally engages prominent issues of the day such as racism, poverty, drug abuse, and the ills of urban decay. The show also tries to shed light on the personal lives of police officers by depicting them in their off-duty hours.
DVD Availability: Season One is available from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. Season Two is available from Shout! Factory.
Original Broadcast: January 2, 1973
Series Run: January 17, 1974–April 11, 1974
Number of Episodes: 13
Returning Cast: Richard Jaeckel (Hank Myers)
Cast Changes: James Drury (Spike Reyerson), Michael Delano (Sonny Caputo), Brad David (Billy Dalzell), Bill Overton (Cal Dankin)
The series maintains the same setting as the TV movie, a firehouse in downtown Los Angeles. Nevertheless, the weightier issues of racism and urban decay that were central in the pilot are muted in favor of weekly adventures in fire rescue, esprit de corps, and melodrama.
DVD Availability: None
Original Broadcast: March 7, 1973
Series Run: January 18, 1974–March 6, 1978
Number of Episodes: 100
Returning Cast: Lee Majors (Steve Austin)
Cast Changes: Richard Anderson (Oscar Goldman), Martin E. Brooks (Dr. Rudy Wells)
Following three TV movies, Steve Austin began to run a weekly gauntlet of domestic and international threats to American security and the general public. There were also occasional injections of the supernatural, visiting aliens, and even several episodes featuring Bigfoot. The series also spawned a popular spinoff series, The Bionic Woman, featuring Austin’s love interest, Jaime Sommers.
DVD Availability: The complete series is available from Universal Studios.
Original Broadcast: March 21, 1973
Series Run: October 4, 1973–May 10, 1974
Number of Episodes: 22
Returning Cast: Tony Mustante (David Toma), Simon Oakland (Inspector Spooner), Susan Strasberg (Patty Toma), Michael Baseleon (Tully), Robert Yuro (Frank Barber), David Spielberg (Marlowe), Ron Soule (Harrison), Nicholas Colasanto (Prolaci), Abe Vigoda (Donzer), Philip Michael Thomas (Sam Hooper), David Mauro (Bags Rolland), Jim Toma (Sean Manning), Donna Toma (Michelle Livingston), Eugene Mazzola (Mark)
This series centers on the activities of Newark, New Jersey, Detective David Toma as he fights drug dealers, street crime, and the local syndicate, often in elaborate disguise. After one season, series star Tony Musante decided he was quitting the series. The producers quickly retooled and renamed the series, creating a similar but new crime drama entitled Barretta, staring Robert Blake.
DVD Availability: None
Original Broadcast: January 22, 1974
Series Run: September 11, 1974–April 4, 1975
Number of Episodes: 22
Returning Cast: Teresa Graves (Christie Love)
Cast Changes: Charles Cioffi (Matt Reardon), Jack Kelly (Arthur Ryan)
Although the film had overtones of the 1970s Blaxploitation genre, the series was a considerably tamer, sanitized crime drama. Reportedly, Theresa Graves’ religious views precluded storylines with sexual or violent content. Without the ability to present gritty contemporary themes, the show did not draw a broad audience.
DVD Availability: None
The original Movie of the Week starring Cathy Lee Crosby did not lead to a regular series. However, in 1976, ABC successfully created a Wonder Woman series starring Lynda Carter. That series ran for one season on ABC and two seasons on CBS, in the process turning Lynda Carter into one of the iconic sex symbols of the 1970s.
Original Broadcast: April 17, 1974
Series Run: September 21, 1974–December 28, 1974
Number of Episodes: 13
Returning Cast: Robert Forster (Nakia Parker), Arthur Kennedy (Sheriff Sam Jericho), Taylor Lacher (Deputy Elliott)
Cast Changes: Gloria De Haven (Irene James), John Tenorio Jr. (Half Cub)
This short-lived series focused on Nakia Parker and the residents of the New Mexico county in which he was Sheriff. The series tried to balance the divergent themes of crime in the contemporary American West, while interjecting aspects of native Navajo culture.
DVD Availability: None
Original Broadcast: April 15, 1975
Series Run: September 14, 1975–March 28, 1976
Number of Episodes: 20
Returning Cast: Martin Milner (Karl Robinson), Pat Delany (Lottie Robinson), Cameron Mitchell (Jeremiah Worth), Eric Olsen (Ernie Robinson)
Cast Changes: Helen Hunt (Helga Wagner), Willie Aames (Fred Robinson)
Although safely ensconced in a tree house fortress, the Robinson family has to overcome an array of weekly threats, including the weather, occasionally dangerous natives, and recurring pirates. It was a difficult premise to sustain over the length of a full season. The hoped-for family audience never fully materialized.
DVD Availability: None
Original Broadcast: April 30, 1975
Series Run: September 10, 1975–May 15, 1979
Number of Episodes: 90
Returning Cast: David Soul (Ken Hutchinson), Paul Michael Glaser (David Starsky, Antonio Fargas (Huggy Bear)
Cast Changes: Bernie Hamilton (Capt. Dobey)
David Starsky and Ken Hutchinson speed around Bay City fighting crime in a red Gran Torino for four seasons, often with help from their friend and street informant, “Huggy Bear.” The series was marked early on by excessive violence, which was toned down in later seasons in favor of a focus on the personal relationship between the two cops.
DVD Availability: The complete series is available from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.
Original Broadcast: May 7, 1975
Series Run: September 20, 1975–January 3, 1976
Number of Episodes: 13
Returning Cast: Anthony Franciosa (Matt Helm), Laraine Stephens (Claire Kronski), Gene Evans (Sgt. Hanrahan)
Cast Changes: None
The TV version of the international playboy cum private investigator tries to find a weekly reason to have Helm surrounded by beautiful women and luxurious trappings, while stirring up some action. The short run of the series featured cases involving kidnapping, jewelry theft, crooked gambling, and drug smuggling.
DVD Availability: None